Recoil and run-out gear of heavy ordnance.



A. T. DAWSON z J. BORNE.

REGOIL AND RUN'OUT GEAR 0F HEAVY ORDNANCB. 4 APPLICATION FILED DEO. 26, 1912. 1,074,541 A Patented sept.3o,1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1 A. T. DAWSON &`J. HORNB.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 26, 1912.

RECOIL AND RUN-OUT GEAR OF HEAVYv ORDNANGE.

A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE. y RBGOIL AND RUN-OUT GEAR 0F HEAVY ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.26, 1912.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

REGOIL AND RUN-OUT GEAR OP HEAVY ORDNANGE.

APPLIQATION FILED 1350.26, 1912.

1,074,541 Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ffy 4.

www /fWM/m Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

A. T. DAWSON & J. HORNE.

APPLIUATION FILED DB0. 26, 1912.

REGOIL AND RUN'OUT GEAR 0F HEAVY O RDNANGE.

A #ff/165565.'

A. T. DAWSON e JQ BORNE. RBCOIL AND RUN-OUT GEAR 0F HEAVY ORDNANGE.

APP'LIG'ATION FILED DEO. 26, 1912. v

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

f.. l A fws ,Qa/06 we@ puren s'rArEs PATENT orrion.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, AND JAMES HORNE, 0F

IBARROW-IN-FURNESS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOBS T0 VICKERS LIMITED, OF WEST- l,

MINSTER, ENGLAND,

1,074,54Lil.

ySpecification. of Letters Patent.

Patented sept, so, i913.

Application filed December 26, 1912. Serial No. 738,559.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR TREvoR DAwsoN, knight, and JAMES HoRNE, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing, respectively, at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, and Naval Construction Works, BarroW-in-Furness, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Recoil and Run-Out Gear of Heavy Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to recoil and run out gear of the hydro-pneumatic type of the kind in which a displacement ram integral with or connected to the piston of the tension recoil brake is employed, and in which the air cylinder ofthe recuperator is provided with a floating piston.

According to this invention we employ means for removing the pressure of the liquid from the piston of the air cylinder for permitting the gun to be moved inward on its slide under the iniiuence of gravity and for permitting the tension recoil brake to be used as an hydraulic press for running the gun out, these conditions being desirable in order to enable the gun to be maneuvered on its slide for overhaul and inspection or other purposes.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried int-o effect we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a sectional side elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation with the lower part in section on approximately the line 1, l of Fig. l, of a gun mounting provided with one constructional form of the invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 showing another constructional form of the invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 3 and 4 showing still another constructional form of the invention.

In all these gures like letters of reference indicate similar parts.

A is the gun, B the cradle that recoils with the gun and. C the 'slide frame tor the cradle.

ton of the tension recoil brake.v

- E represents the aforesaid displacement ram.

i D represents the cylinder and D the pis- F represents the air cylinder of theirecuperator, F its floating piston, and f* its rod which projects through the rear wall of the cylinder F.

In the constructional form of the invention shown by Figs. l and 2 we provide for the esca e of the liquid from the recoil cylinder D into suitable receivers by the inward movement of the gun under the action of gravity when placed at a suitable angle of elevation. For this purpose a. stop cock F4 is provided in the exam le shown, by means of which the liquid side of the air cylinder F can be put into communica-tion with a tank or receiver F5, so that when the cock is opened the air pressure acting on the oating piston Fx forces the latter rearof the cylinder F and thence past the stop cock F 4 to the tank or receiver F5. The liquid remaining in the recoil cylinder after the gun has been run in by gravity as aforesaid can then be drained into suitable vessels through the drain cock D or it can be simply allowed "to mix with the Water under pressure whenl the latter is brought into operation forrunning the gun out as will be now described. In order to eifect the running out of the gun, We provide, in the example shown, a passage d* in the piston rod d of the recoil brake which passage terminates at its rear end at the rear face of the piston D and at its front end in a pipe dx which leads to a control valve d2". By means of this valve water under I pressure can be admitted to the recoil brakeV cylinder D for causing the gun to run for- Ward at any desired angle of elevation. To

`valve d3* is closed and the water drained by the drain cock DXx from the recoil cylinder D. The drain cock DXx is then closed and the cylinder partially filled with the special liquid from the receiver F3 through the stop cock F4. The filling of the cylinder is completed by means of the hand pump D2 through the pipe d5* and the stop valve d4".

In the constructional form of the invention shown by Figs. 3, 4 and 5 we dispense with the usual liquid in the recoil brake cylinder D and use in place thereof water supplied from the main hydraulic pressure system. This arrangement provides a combined system of pneumatlcand hydraulic run out, which system enables the maneuvering of the gun on its slide to be eli'ected when desired without the necessity of draining the liquid. from the recoil brake cylinder into receivers as described-with reference to Figs. land 2. For this purpose we provide in the example shown, a control valve d3* (similar to that above described) connected'to the pressure supply of the hydraulic system by the pipe d3 and with the exhaust by a pipe which is not shown. The casing of the said valve is connected to that of an interceptingvalve D3 by pipes d3, d4 of which the former terminates beneath a piston d3* on the valve D3 and the latter terminates beneath the valve. The'port D3 of the valve casing forms a continuation of a passage e in the rear end of the displacement ram, the latter in turn communicatin with the cylinder D by suitable holes formed in the side of the said ram. AThe parts are normally in the position shown in the drawings, and during the recoil and run out of the gun, the water in the recoil brake cylinder D and the air cylinder acts in the same way as the usual liquid, the valveD3 being retained on its seat to prevent escape of the water. To enable the gun to run in on its slide for inspection purposes as aforesaid, the control valve dz is moved to admit water under pressure to the pipe d3 and to place t-he pipe d4 to exhaust. The piston d3* accordingly rises, carrying with it the valve D3. The interior of the ram E and consequently the cylinders D and F are thereby placed to exhaust and the gun can then run in under the action of gravity. The speed at which the gun is permitted to run in can be controlled, and shocks thereby avoided,`

by the manipulation of the valve d2". When it is desired to effect the run out of the gun, the control valve d2* is shifted to the run out position, thereby placing the pipe d4 and the port D3X to pressure. The stem of the intercepting valve D3 is, `in the example shown, connected to a bell crank lever d which in turn is connected by a Vlink d5 to a lever d5* pivoted to the slide frame. The free end of this lever is disposed in the path of a stop B on the cradle in such manner that as the gun nears its run out position the stopdisplaces the lever d5* into a position to partly close the valve D3 and so throttle the supply of .water pressure to the cylinder D, thereby avoiding the shock which would otherwise take place as the gun reaches its run out position. By means of this form of the invention the hydraulic .apparatus can always automatically maintain the full volume of water in the system whether under ordinary conditions of running out by pneumatic pressure, or when the hydraulic system is in use), for which purpose vthe control valve d3* is normally retained in the run out position so that the water will pass through the intercepting valve to make good any leakage which may, from'any cause, take place.

In the constructional form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 we so construct and arrange the run out gear that it is adapted to eil'ect the run out ofthe gun, after inspection as aforesaid or after recoil, by means of hydraulic pressure if the pneumatic system should become unintentionally inoperative. For this purpose' We provide in the example shown two spring controlled relief or by -pass valves D4 (Fig. 7) the upper surfaces of which are in communication with the rear end of the hollow displacement ram E. A pipe D leads from each of the air cylinders F to the lower ends of the casing of each of the valves. Each of these pipes terminates at its upper end in a hollow rod FXX which passes through the piston rod fx of the floating piston Fx and also through the piston itself. The lower ends of' the valves are provided with pistons D5, so'that as long as the pneumatic system remains operative the air in the cylinder F acts on the pistons D5 andl assists the spring'D5X in holding the valves Dt1 on their seats. A control valve d3* and an intercept-ing valve D3 such as that described with reference to Figs. 3 and 5 is as shown provided for operating the gun when the hydraulic system is in action. Similarly the mechanism for automatically moving the valve D3 to throttle the supply of water to the brake cylinder D may also be employed although it is not so shown on the drawings. It will be obvious that ifdesired we may employ only one valve D4 instead of two as shown.` If the air pressure `fails, water under pressure is admitted to the cylinder D by the control valve d3". The water passes into the cylinder F through the hole or passage f and causes the piston F X and its rod f* to move to the right. The cylinders D and F are thus full of water under pressure, and consequently, during the recoil movement of the gun, the water displaced by the ram E opens the valve D* and passes to the exhaust port D3 of the valve casing. We may provide suitable tanks for the discharged water, and from these tanks the water ilows by the action of gravity to the exhaust pipe of the hydraulic system.

A non-return valve f (Fig. 4) may be provided in the hole or passage f between the cylinders D and F, this valve being formed with a by-pass to ermit of the gradual return of the liquid om the cylinder F to the cylinder D during the run out movement of the gun.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In recoil and run out gear for ordnance, the combination with the brake cylinder, the tension brake piston, the displacement ram integralwith said piston, the air cylinder and its fioating piston, of means for removing the pressure of the liquid from the floating plston to ermit the gun to move inward under the lniuence of gravity.

2. In recoil and run out gear for 09rdnance, the combination with the brake cylinder, the tension brake piston, the displace-- ment ram integral with said piston, the air cylinder and its floating piston, of means for removing the pressure of the liquid from the fioating piston to permit the gun to move inward under the influence of gravity, and separate means for admitting water under pressure to the brake cylinder.

3. In recoil and run out, gear for ordnance, the combination with the brake cylinder, the tension brake piston, the displacement ram integral with said piston, the air cylinder vand its floating piston, of means in the air cylinder for exhausting the liquid therefrom to permit the gun to move inward under the inuence of gravity, and separate means for admitting water under pressure to the brake cylinder.

4. In recoil and run out gear for ordnance, the combination with the brake cylin der, the tension brake piston, the displace ment ram integral with said piston the air cylinder and its floating piston, of a stop cock in the wall of the air cylinder for ex- -haustng the liquid therefrom to permit the gun to move inward under the iniiuence of gravity, and separate means for admitting water under pressure to the brake cylinder.

5. In recoil and run out gear for ordnance, the combination with the brake cylinder, the tension brake piston, the displacement ram integral with said piston, the air cylinder and its floating piston, of a stop cock in the wall of the air cylinder for exhausting the liquid therefrom to permit the gun to move inward under the influence of gravity, and4 a control valve for admitting and exhausting water under pressure to and from the brake cylinder.

6. In recoil and run out gear for ordnance, the combination with the brake cylinder, the tension brake piston, the displacement ram integral with said piston, the air cylinder and its floating piston, of a stop cock in the wall of the air cylinder, a receiver in communication with said stop cock, a control valve for admitting and exhausting water under pressure to and from the brake cylinder, and a pump in communication with the brake cylinder.

7. In recoil and run out gear for ordnance, the combination with the brake cylinder, the tension brake piston, the displacement lram integral with said piston, the air cylinder and its floating piston, of a stop cock in the wall of the air cylinder, a receiver' in communication with said stop cock, a. drain cock in the wall ofthe brake cylinder, a control valve for admitting and exhausting water under pressure to and from the brake cylinder, and a pump 1n communication with the brake cylinder.

In testimony whereof we affix our slgnatures in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. JAMES HORNE.

Witnesses to the signature of S1r Arthur Trevor Dawson:v

HENRY KING, JNO. R. CAswELr..

Witnesses to the signature of James Horne:

MARK G. ATKINSON, HENRY S. McDowALL. 

